As the summer of 2024 draws close, Season 3 of “Bel -Air” debuts on Peacock. The new season picks up a month after Season 2’s finale events when Will (Jabari Banks) inquired to Lisa (Simone Joy Jones) about summers in Bel Air. The audience is immediately plunged into the fun
Uncle Phil (Adrian Holmes) and Aunt Vivian (Cassandra Freeman) continue to thrive in their professional lives despite their middle son Carlton (Olly Sholotan) spending the last month in rehab. The Banks daughters are also flourishing. Hilary (Coco Jones) finds herself amid a whirlwind romance with LaMarcus (Justin Cornwell), and Ashley (Akira Akbar) is coming into her own. Meanwhile, the Banks’ house manager, Geoffrey, and Will’s right-hand man, Jazz (Jordan L. Jones), are embroiled in their storylines, which carry over from the latter half of Season 2. The growth of these characters is a testament to the show’s ability to keep the audience invested in their journey.
The first three episodes of Season 3 of “Bel Air” put the season off to the right track. One of the things that caught my eye was the handling of Will’s arc. Banks continues to be a breakout star, giving Will a sense of authenticity as he becomes a man. While I wish the trailers hadn’t revealed the return of Marlon Wayans as Will’s estranged father, Lou, kudos to the writers for their angle regarding their relationship.
Similar to Banks, Olly Sultan continues to shine as Carlton. Sultans take on Carlton this year tons down the arrogance, and we see him build a brotherhood with Will and finally get a decent love interest, Amia (Alycia Pascual-Peña). Veteran actors Adrian Holmes and Cassandra Freeman also bring authenticity to Viv and Phil, who work through personal and professional stresses. It will be interesting to see where this season takes them. I will say that I wasn’t mainly sold on the arcs for Hilary and Ashley in the first three episodes, but I think I have an idea of where both characters are going, and I may reevaluate after seeing the entire season.
Outside of Will and Carlton, my favorite characters on the reboot are still Jeffrey and Jazz. Jimmy Akingbola brings a no-nonsense vibe to the house manager, and I’m looking forward to learning more about his backstory over the coming while. As for Jazz, Jordan L. Jones has an everyman approach that you want to root for. The enjoyable interactions between these characters add a layer of entertainment to the show. Regarding the new characters for the season, businessman Quentin (Vic Mensa), who plays a part in Will and Carlton’s arc, stuck out the most.
Showrunner Carla Banks Waddles continues to steer the show in its direction, and I eagerly anticipate seeing where the rest of the season goes
Final Grade: B+
The first three episodes of Bel-Air’s third season arrive on Peacock, Thursday, August 15th.
Nineties R&B was home to many female groups, so standing out took more than good looks and a major industry endorsement. I still remember seeing Allure in a Vibe ad and thinking how gorgeous those four women were. The question was whether they had the talent to compete in the music scene.
In 1996, I first heard the Houston quartet Ideal on the Original Gangsters soundtrack. Their interpretation of Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues,” featuring the Chi-Lites, caught my attention.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit 2004 and highlight Romeo’s debut solo album, formerly of Immature. Titled “Food for Thought” and released on June 22nd, this project marked the singer’s change of name to Young Rome in an effort to distance himself from the youthful sound of his group, much like his bandmate Marques Houston had done a year earlier.